Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Student protesters from the Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) alliance were blocked on their way to the HI Roundabout in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. A command vehicle carrying protesters was forced to turn back where they came by the police.

The students refused to heed the order, as they claimed making a U-turn would result in a traffic violation. "It's a one-way traffic, Pak, we don't want to violate the law," one of the protesters told the police officers who blocked their way in the Sudirman-Thamrin area.

The police barred the students from staging a protest at the HI Roundabout, which they said is the epicenter of mobility and business. Protesting there, they said, could disrupt public activities.

Hundreds of police lined up to prevent the protesters of the #MerebutKemerdekaan (Reclaim Independence) rally from passing through.

Police also deployed a command vehicle and high fences to block access to the HI Roundabout.

This was not the first time the police blocked student protesters, as similar blockades occurred during the BEM UI protest on June 12 at the same location.

Deputy chair of BEM UI, Fathimah Azzahra, criticized the police's action, arguing that it was unreasonable to force the protesters' command vehicle to back up. "Meanwhile, the police parked their command vehicles there (in the HI Roundabout area)," she said.

The police blockade disrupted mobility in the area, with several passenger buses being jammed as the blockade extended from the busway lane. This situation sparked a brief tension among the crowd.

Hafidz Haernanda, one of the coordinators of the #MerebutKemerdekaan protest, said he saw police officers pulling away students standing in the busway lane, which sparked reaction from protesters. They demanded the police refrain from acting repressive.

In his statement, BEM UI chair Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan said the students did not stage a rally to celebrate independence, "But to ask loudly, what kind of independence are we celebrating?" he said on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

During today's protest BEM UI presented eight demands to the Prabowo-Gibran government. One of them concerns an end to repressive actions by the authorities against civilians. BEM UI also urged the government to halt the construction of the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion.

"We also express our disgust and demand a complete overhaul of national strategic projects and an end to the free nutritious meal and the village cooperative programs," said Yatalathof.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2117760/again-police-block-students-from-protesting-at-hi-roundabou